JC Israel Briefing Day 570: US-Israel rift grows over Iran talks

What Trump said yesterday:“On the Iran situation, I think we’re doing very well.

“I think a deal is going to be made there… I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen

“We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place.”

What Netanyahu said yesterday: “A bad deal is worse than no deal.

“[Any deal must] dismantle all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program.

He also insisted that Iran’s missile production must be included in the negotiations.

Netanyahu further warned Iran could wait for Trump’s term to end and then resume its nuclear proliferation.

In other diplomatic news, there has been “some progress” in negotiations with Hamas over a possible ceasefire in Gaza, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said yesterday. He made the comment as a Hamas delegation left Cairo after indirect talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials.

Al Thani noted that Israel and Hamas still disagree about the war’s end, and that this could collapse the negotiations. Al Thani accused Israel of attacking Qatar’s mediation efforts to shift political blame. He said these attacks damaged the chances of saving lives. Indirect talks are expected to continue.

In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit Zeitun, Bureij, Khan Younis and Khuzaa — all located in the south of the territory — yesterday. The IDF said it struck Hamas fighters sheltering inside civilian areas and said it took steps to limit civilian deaths during the strikes. Hamas launched rockets at Israeli towns close to the Gaza border, but no injuries were reported.

And discontented Gazans held more anti-Hamas marches yesterday, in the continuation of small but notable shows of dissent. Witnesses said civilians gathered despite Israeli airstrikes nearby and accused Hamas of dragging Gaza into pointless suffering, shouting “Hamas out.” Some banners read: “We want to live.”

Unlike on previous occasions, yesterday’s crowd reportedly was not dispersed. Analysts believe Hamas’s hold over the population could weaken further if no ceasefire is reached soon.

On the northern front, Israel has struck a Hezbollah weapons site in Beirut’s Dahiyyeh suburb. The IDF said it targeted a building — after warning civilians to flee — that was used to store “strategic weapons” and described the attack as a warning to Hezbollah not to expand its activities. Residents reported large explosions that damaged nearby buildings. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the airstrike and called on the United States and France to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, Israel intercepted a drone approaching its airspace from the east yesterday. Officials believe the drone came from Yemen and was launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Rocket sirens sounded in the Dead Sea area shortly before the interception, but no damage or injuries were reported.

On the domestic front, Israel’s Independence Day, which is coming up later this week, should be marked with restraint, Jerusalem’s Mayor Moshe Lion and hostage families urged last night. They said the country could not celebrate fully while hostages remain in Gaza and also called for unity. “We won’t be united or complete if all the hostages aren’t returned home,” said Lion. Events across Israel have been scaled back out of respect for the war. Many cities have cancelled fireworks and parades.

And Netanyahu has submitted an affidavit to the High Court accusing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of “massive and direct responsibility” for the October 7 Hamas massacre. Last week, Bar filed his own affidavit saying Netanyahu pressured him to act unlawfully and ignored repeated security warnings. Netanyahu argued that Bar had deeply flawed intelligence before the attack and that he discouraged defensive action that could have stopped Hamas’s invasion.

The High Court is considering whether Netanyahu has the authority to dismiss Bar from his position. Bar said his accusations are backed by extensive documentation and described Netanyahu’s counterclaims as “inaccuracies, biased quotes and half-truths.” Judges have asked for more documentation from both sides before making a ruling.

Elsewhere, in an unconnected High Court case, judges have ordered the government to explain why ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students have not been properly drafted into the army. Judges said only two per cent of Charedi students who received draft notices had enlisted. Defence officials said the IDF urgently needs thousands more soldiers. The government must submit a detailed response by June. Ultra-Orthodox leaders insist that Torah study is their national service, while secular Israelis say military service must be shared equally.

Finally, a BBC Arabic contributor who reported live from Gaza, Samer Elzaenen, called for Jews to be burned “as Hitler did” in social media posts, according to a Daily Telegraph report yesterday. Another BBC Arabic freelancer, Ahmed Qannan, also reportedly expressed support for deadly attacks. The BBC said both men were external contributors and not members of staff. CAMERA UK and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the BBC for using freelancers with records of antisemitism and hate speech. The BBC said it would review its contributor policies.

You can sign up to the JC’s Israel briefing here.